Billy “The Bullet” Hamill bags a title that has eluded him for his entire career.
Strange to think that in all of his years as one of the best of the best American speedway riders—through his 1996 World Championship, his years representing Team USA, and his numerous AMA National Championships—that Billy “The Bullet” Hamill had never brought home the California State Championship.
But on Wednesday night at Industry Hills Speedway, Hamill was able to check the California State Championship off his bucket list, as he rode a masterful race in the final, getting a strong start out of gate three to draw alongside of reigning California State Champion Billy “The Kid” Janniro and then performing a brilliant outside pass to move into the lead on the opening lap of the four=lap Final. From there, Hamill was able to fend off the champ and notch another title of his own.
“It is one of the championships that has eluded me,” the Joker Machine/Hagon Shocks/Monster Enerry/Coast Fabrications-backed Hamill said. “I can say that I have been the World Champion, World Team Cup Champion, multi-time National Champion, and now I can say that I won the California State Championship. I’m pretty happy to be able to add that to my resumé.”
It probably couldn’t go to a more deserving veteran than Hamill, now 45 years old. Not because of his talent or the glory that he brought the USA during his years overseas, but more for what he is doing to promote the sport of speedway in America now. Hamill’s business, sells speedway parts and complete junior speedway bikes at relatively affordable prices, which has made the sport more accessible to young riders. He has been tireless in his efforts to spread the gospel of speedway anywhere and everywhere he can. Hamill’s son, Kurtis, is now developing into a spectacular rider in his own right, setting up a sort of Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. vibe whenever the two race together.
But it wasn’t going to be easy, as Hamill would face a star-studded field of young lions and former champions, including three-time California State Champion and former U.S. National Champion Charlie “The Edge” Venegas, reigning AMA Speedway Champion and defending California State Champion Janniro, Industry Racing Points Champion Max Ruml and talented up-and-coming riders such Ruml’s brother, Dillion, Broc Nicol and Aaron Fox, just to name a few.
Of these, the Big Time Speedway/Motion-Pro/MXRC/O’Neal-backed Janniro would prove to be toughest. The 35-year-old is one of the fiercest and most intimidating competitors ever to swing a leg over one of the brakeless, alcohol-gulping speedway machines, and his performances, while most often very surgical, border on the demonic. The pre-race anticipation was that it would take a major twist of fate or an inspired night by someone of the ilk of, say, a Venegas, to keep either Janniro or Hamill from taking the title.
Both riders got their night underway with wins in their opening heat races of the championship-style format that pitted every rider in the CSC field against one another at least once during four rounds of racing, with top eight spit into two semis for an opportunity to qualify for the California State Championship Final. Ruml drew first blood by winning heat one, and Fox came through for the win in heat two. Hamill and Janniro claimed wins in heats three and four respectively.
Hamill and Janniro would meet in the third round, with both men tied on a perfect score of six points to set the table for what fans might see if both made it through to the California State Championship Final. Janniro got a clean start out of gate two and took the early lead, but Hamill immediately went to work on the outside from gate four to get ahead of Mike Dalby and Tyson Talkington. Hamill then put a wheel on Janniro while staying to the outside in turns three and four on the opening lap, and he sealed the deal by sliding down in front of Janniro to take the lead at the start of lap two.
After a win over Dillon Ruml, Brayden Galvin and Dalton Leedy in his fourth-round heat race, Hamill still held a one-point advantage over Janniro, who also handily won his final regular heat. Heading into the semis, Hamill knew that he would be guaranteed first pick of starting positions for the Final if both men won their respective semis.
Except that Hamill didn’t win his semi. Instead, he was upset by hard-riding 16-year-old Luke Becker, the son of former Northern California speedway racer Matt Becker. The youngster got a fantastic start out of gate four and commanded the first turn. From there, he rode four clean laps to keep Hamill, Fox and 59-year-old speedway racing legend at bay and score a huge upset victory to earn his place in the California State Championship Final.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” the Lazer Racing/Becker Racing-backed teenager said. “I don’t know how it happened, but it happened. It was amazing. Billy Hamill has been one of the best riders out there for a long time. It was a cool race, and making the main event is a good way for me to head into the Under-21 National Championship in Auburn [California] on Friday.”
Hamill said he simply was bitten by the track prep that had helped him earlier in the night when he defeated Janniro.
“They had watered the groove during track preparation just before my semi,” said, Hamill who had elected to start from gate one. “I saw that, and thought, ‘Oh no.’ But the truth is that Luke Becker was a sleeper, and he pulled it off. I was really surprised, but after about the second lap I was just full of admiration for how he was riding. I was really proud of him. I love to see the young kids do that, and I hope we see it more often.”
Janniro had no issues as he rolled to victory in the second semi, with Ruml finishing second ahead of Venegas [Tyson Talkington was excluded after crashing and causing the race to be rerun] to make the California State Championship Final.
Hamill’s loss in the semis not only robbed him of the first gate pick, it also robbed him of the second gate pick, as the priority went to the highest points-earning winner of the semis, followed by the other semi winner and then the highest points-earning runner-up, which meant that although Hamill had scored the most points of the night, his loss to Becker might be critical to his chances in the Final. When Janniro chose gate one and Becker gate four, Hamill chose gate three, just outside of Ruml, but couldn’t decide where exactly to line up his motorcycle. That was when Schwartz imparted a little wisdom from his five decades of experience.
“Bobby Schwartz gave me some great advice just before the start of the main event, and that was just what I needed,” Hamill said. “He showed me where I should line up in gate three because I was a little bit indecisive. He told me where to line up, to sit back a little bit, and it would just launch.”
Hamill did just that, and he was just off Janniro’s rear wheel as the pack slid through the first turn in the all-important California State Championship Final. Hamill stayed outside through turns three and four, and he found the drive to gain a clear advantage over Janniro as the lead pair charged up the front straightaway. Hamill then moved down in front of Janniro to take control of the inside groove, and he held fast there in the remaining laps to score a title that has eluded him for his entire career. Janniro made the mistake of trying the outside himself late in the race, only to cost himself second place when Ruml slid underneath him on the groove to take the spot away. Janniro finished third with Becker fourth.
“Billy [Janniro] is such a beast,” Hamill said. “He is such a phenomenal rider, and anytime you can beat him…well, we call him the Honey Badger for a reason…it just makes it that much more satisfying. The track kept changing all night. It would go slick and turn into a blue groove, and then they would bring the tractor out and create a little dirt. I was surprised how much was still out there when I bumped off for the warm-up lap. At first, I was thinking I needed to beat them down to the groove, but then I changed my mind. I said, ‘I can work this.’ Credit to the Industry Racing crew. They gave us a great racetrack, and I think that the crowd got some great racing. It was a great way to cap off their racing season and look forward to 2016.”
Ruml’s fine second-place finish proved that his Industry Racing points championship was well-deserved.
“That race was awesome,” the 18-year-old Ruml said. “I got the last gate pick, and I just followed Billy [Hamill] right through. He went around Janniro, and I went under him on the last lap. It was good. I’ve grown up watching those guys, so to go out there and make mains consistently and beat them is a good thing.”
For his part, Janniro wasn’t too disappointed to finish third, and he even made light of the outcome.
“Hamill cheated!” Janniro joked. “He was riding a 600, and that’s bullshit! No, seriously, it was a good race. He was on it to night, and it was some good racing. He passed me twice, and it was fair play. We’ll just go for it next time.”
Janniro said that the reason he didn’t aim for the outside line to get into the deeper dirt was simply because he didn’t think it was there.
“There wasn’t enough to make me want to go there,” Janniro said. “Hamill caught the edge of it, and he had a good line and just went right around me. So, fair play, you know? It was awesome racing tonight. I think the crowd got its money’s worth tonight, and that’s what it’s all about.”
2015 AMA California State Speedway Championship
Industry Hills Speedway
Industry Hills, California
Results: August 26, 2015
California State Championship Semi 1
22n-Luke Becker
104-Billy Hamill
46-Aaron Fox
11-Bobby Schwartz
California State Championship Semi 2
1-Billy Janniro
5-Max Ruml
43-Charlie Venegas
48-Tyson Talkington (fell, excluded)
California State Championship Final
104-Billy Hamill
5-Max Ruml
1-Billy Janniro
22n-Luke Becker
Mini 150 Championship Final
31n – Sterling Martin
30n – Alex Martin
28 – Slater Lightcap
419 – Dakota Shockley
Junior 250 Championship Final
18-Sebastian Palmese
16-Jake Isaac
214-Michael Wells
8-Skylar Schnakenberg
Industry Invitational Final
140-Kurtis Hamill
345-Rick Richards
293-Rick Valdez
101-Mike Wiley
California State Speedway Champions List
2015-Billy Hamill
2014-Billy Janniro
2013-Charlie Venegas
2012-Billy Janniro
2011-Billy Janniro
2010-Billy Janniro
2009-Ricky Wells
2008-Charlie Venegas
2007-Charlie Venegas
2006-Josh Larsen
1998-2005 No Event
1997-Charlie Venegas
1996-Steve Lucero
1995-Steve Lucero
1994-Mike Faria
1993-Chris Manchester
1992-Mike Faria
1991-Bobby Schwartz
1990-Mike Faria
1989-Steve Lucero
1988-Sam Ermolenko
1987-Mike Faria
1986-Bobby Ott
1985-Steve Lucero
1984-Bobby Schwartz
1983-Mike Bast
1982-Lance King
1981-Bruce Penhall
1980-Alan Christian
1979-Mike Bast
1978-Mike Bast
1977-Mike Bast
1976-Mike Bast
1975-Steve Bast
1974-Steve Bast
1973-Mike Bast
1972-Steve Bast
1971-Steve Bast
1970-Steve Bast
1969-Steve Bast
1968-Sonny Nutter
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